Winnebago County Board honors 105-year-old born on Thanksgiving

A soon-to-be 105-year-old lifelong Rockford resident was honored Tuesday by the Winnebago County Board.

Stanley Stark, who will turn 105 on Thanksgiving Day, was recognized during Tuesday's County Board meeting.

"Mr. Stark has been involved in advancing Christian education by founding the Sunday school in the basement of Alpine School located at East State Street and Alpine Road. Soon the school became Alpine Lutheran Church where he was a charter member earning him the nickname "Mr. Alpine," County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen read from a proclamation declaring Tuesday a celebration of Stark's 105th birthday.

Stanley Stark's birthday announcement.

"Mr. Stark has demonstrated values of hard work and dedication throughout his life and his character and faith have been appreciated by all those he has come in contact with," said Christiansen, who is a member of the church Stark helped start.

Stark has been in the paper a few times before. In 2008, when he was about to reach the century mark, we wrote this story. It starts:

"It was Thanksgiving Day in 1908. In a modest home in central Rockford, a woman put Thanksgiving dinner on the table for her husband and four sons. Heavily pregnant, she suggested that perhaps the boys take care of the dishes. Then she headed for her bedroom, where she proceeded to give birth — by herself and without medication — to a 13-pound, 10-ounce boy."

In 2007, we wrote this feature when then 98-year-old Stark married then 80-year-old Harriet.

Stark has credits his longevity to the care Harriet has given him.

Related: To 100 and beyond: More people in Rock River Valley living past century mark